It wasn’t unusual for Ramsey to ignore him for an entire weekend, but it was as annoying as ever. Deon loved the girl, but she had a lot of work to do on herself, and she was never going to get back to normal if she didn’t try harder. But, he had learned to pick his battles, and was certain he’d see her tomorrow anyways.
Deon and Ramsey had known each other since they were very young, and though they were siblings, they still never called each other “brother” or “sister.” It felt too formal.
When Deon was around four years old, his mother befriended a new couple that had moved to their small Texas town, and baby Ramsey was love at first sight. Her big honey eyes, ridiculous facial expressions—their adventures started that first day Deon got to hold her.
Ramsey and Deon had been through everything together - reckless childhood explorations in the woods, Ramsey’s parent’s death and her subsequent adoption, Deon’s high school coming out, endless nights spent laughing and drinking their worries away, Ramsey’s recent failed engagement, and everything in between. They were each other’s number one constant, the only thing they relied on at the end of every day. Whether they spoke or not, they were their chosen family. Always.
And as much as Deon wanted to love everything about Ramsey and cheer her on, he was getting increasingly frustrated with her pity party since her ex left her. It had been almost six months since Ramsey showed up at his door, sobbing and unable to hold herself up. He understood the mess she was in, but he also knew she wasn’t taking care of herself. She had become so fragile. Ramsey always had her faults—she was a perfectionist and could be utterly dense when it came to complex emotions—but she was always adventurous and sharply funny. If her ex couldn’t see that, he didn’t deserve her, quite frankly.
Frustrated, Deon tried to instead focus on finding the perfect outfit for his upcoming date that night. He would see Ramsey tomorrow, and she’d be fine.
--
Satisfied that Ramsey would be at the bar later, Deon took his time getting ready and heading to work. His schedule may be completely backwards, but the life of a bartender was nothing if not exciting. Every night was a new adventure. Deon was happy as long as something was going on. An idle mind is the devil’s playground, they say.
Like clockwork, Ramsey walked in at ten to six, shyly glancing around the room before heading towards the bar.
“RAMSEY!”
Her expression made the outburst worth it. She was embarrassed, yet filled with an affection that Deon knew so well. After a long hug, he released her and took his place behind the bar again, determined to make her the best drink of her life. But, honestly, it was probably garbage. Deon may be a bartender, but he would never say he was a good bartender.
“What about Milos? Did he come by?”
Her face said it all. That asshole. Deon had known he’d bother her again. Milos put on a nice enough front, but his weird obsession with Ramsey was totally out of hand.
“Uh oh. He did, didn’t he? If you need me to talk to him, I can. I know how he can get, but it’s not okay for him to—”
“No, it’s not that. We actually, uh, talked today.”
That was unusual. Ramsey wasn’t one for confrontation, and she hated riling up Milos. Resting his face in his hands, elbows on the bar, Deon leaned in closer to his best friend.
Deon had to admit he was proud of her for finally telling Milos to back off, in so many words, but he still worried about the guy. But he’d give Ramsey that lecture another time, right now he felt it was appropriate to tease her a bit, get her mind off things.
What he didn’t expect was someone else to be looking at him when he gazed around the bar.
Well, not at him, exactly. At Ramsey, or her back, he supposed. Deon admitted to himself that the man was ridiculously good-looking, in a mysterious, Sherlock Holmes sort of way. Enigmatic, sexy, but probably emotionally inept with a load of childhood trauma. He secretly hoped broody guy was more into him, before pointing him out to Ramsey.
“Wait until you see the bombshell eyeing you across the room.”
Ramsey spun around and Deon’s grin faltered when he saw their eyes meet. Just to the left of Jon Snow, Milos’ face stared hard at Ramsey, fire burning behind his glare.
Ramsey quickly spun around.
“Ramsey, I think—”
“Is he walking over here??” She asked, obviously flustered. As happy as Deon was to see her accepting some male attention, he also saw Milos start to rise, just as Bruce Wayne left his table.
“Yeah...but he’s not alone.”
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